Best in Clothes

Every year we have the Academy Awards presentations on TV and all around that time the media is flooded with clips from the nominated films followed by what was worn to the ceremony.  I like looking at pretty pictures, but those clothes have nothing to do with me or my lifestyle.

Never mind the clothes, I haven't even been to a movie theatre since 2002 when Bill's sister, Jane, and I went to see Chicago.  Bill's taste in movies is pretty narrow and I don't think the price of the tickets and refreshments is anywhere near justifiable, particularly since with a bit of patience I can rent (or even buy) the movie for a few quid and make popcorn at home.  If there were 'dollar' movies (or the equivalent here), I would considering going, but there aren't.  I suspect there is no such thing as 'dollar' or even 'two dollar' movies anymore, but never mind.

I was thinking that the Oscar presentations started in the 1920-30s and that I could see all the lovely fashions from that era, but it doesn't turn out to be that straightforward.  The first Oscars were in 1929, but they didn't do awards for best costume design until 1948 <darn>.  

  

So, we'll have to dig a little harder, but first, put this date in your diary for 2011:  27 February.  That's when the Oscars will be on TV, in the US anyhow.  I don't actually know what they do over here in England; I've never bothered much with it.  Perhaps I'll think to look for it in the TV listings to see if it shows here at all or whether they just do clips about the winners and show the movie stars on the red carpet, etc.  To be honest, I'm only mildly interested in the present day movies and awards.

  

The first Academy Awards presentation was in 1929.  The Best Picture award went to a movie called Wings, made in 1927 (things must have moved slower back then) and starring Clara Bow and Charles "Buddy" Rogers (her, I've heard of).  It was a silent movie, the only one to win an Academy Award.  The costume designers are listed as Travis Banton and Edith Head (her, I've heard of).

 

Apparently, Banton was Edith Head's mentor.  Her career seems to have taken off about the time his faltered, but I'm not as enthusiastic about styles in the 1950s, me.

Just to prove that I'm not alone in being interested in stuff like this, not to mention showing you some of Banton's clothes, I give you Silver Screen Modiste, Movie Diva and, just for fun, PaperDollywood.  I expect I'll be coming back to visit these sites!

Funny enough, though the film was supposed to be set during World War I, the clothing and hairstyles in it are the bobbed hair and freer clothing of the 1920's when the film was made.  Oops.